Telecommunications networks are important for providing global data and voice communication. Monitoring the networks is important to ensure reliable operation, fault detection, timely mitigation of potentially malicious activities and more. Network taps are known for connecting to networks and providing a port to monitor the communication traffic on the network. Network monitors are known for providing information to other network elements.
However, conventional network taps use store and forward techniques that cause a delay in the network traffic. Such a delay is undesirable because it generates communication latency and can adversely affect the communications network. These undesirable attributes are even more pronounced in ultra-high-speed networks operating at gigabit speeds.
What is needed is a network tap that can duplicate network traffic, while creating only an insubstantial delay into the network traffic.